Software:G-LOC: Air Battle

From HandWiki
Short description: 1990 video game
G-LOC: Air Battle
G-LOC - Air Battle (arcade promotional flyer).png
Japanese arcade flyer
Developer(s)Sega AM2
Publisher(s)Sega
Designer(s)Yu Suzuki
Composer(s)Hiroshi Kawaguchi
Yasuhiro Takagi
SeriesAfter Burner
Platform(s)Arcade, Game Gear, Mega Drive/Genesis, Master System, Switch
Release
Genre(s)Combat flight simulator
Mode(s)Single-player
Arcade systemSega Y Board

G-LOC: Air Battle[lower-alpha 1] is a 1990 combat flight simulator arcade video game developed and published by Sega. It is a spin-off of the company's After Burner series. The title refers to "G-force induced Loss Of Consciousness". The game is known for its use of the R360 motion simulator arcade cabinet. The arcade game was a commercial and critical success upon release.

Gameplay

Arcade screenshot

The game puts the player in a fighter plane, dog fighting other planes. Once the player takes too many hits or the game-timer runs out the game is over. The player earns more time and advances stages by achieving goals that are set in each stage. The player initially starts with limited armament which is replenished by completing missions. Players choose what targets to destroy, like ships, jet fighters, or tanks. Eventually, players will attack bosses such as War Balloon, the Bomber, and the final adversary, an enemy ace who uses the same plane as the player, except with enhanced durability and strength.

The player controls an experimental aircraft (referred to as A8M5, but upgraded over time, finally becoming the A8M6) in a mission to eliminate enemy planes. During the game, the player is attacked from the front and back. The game is mostly played from a first person perspective, but once locked onto by an enemy missile, the perspective changes to third person behind the player's plane to allow the player to perform evasive maneuvers. The plane is controlled by a joystick and has two weapons: a cannon and missiles. The player can either try to shoot down enemy planes or target them by moving the crosshair over them and launching missiles at targeted planes to destroy them.

Release

The game was released in three arcade cabinet versions: a standard stand-up version, a sit-down version and a deluxe sit-down version: the R-360 cabinet. The R-360 gives the game into a more dynamic feel as the cabinet responds to the pilot's actions, improving on the limited path of plane movement in the standup and sit-down versions. The cabinet is mounted on a gyroscope that can rotate along two axes, attached to a base which is stationary.[5][6]

The game was ported to the Mega Drive, Master System, and Game Gear. The home computer versions (Commodore 64, Amstrad CPC, ZX Spectrum, Atari ST, and Amiga) were named G-LOC R360.

Some ports include certain features not present in the arcade version. The Mega Drive version alternates between first and third-person perspectives at times, the Master System one features bosses, and the Game Gear one employs points that can be used to upgrade the jet.

The original arcade version was ported to home consoles for the first time in 2020 for the Nintendo Switch under the Sega Ages series. This version was released on March 26 in Japan and later on April 30 in North America and Europe[7] and features new control options and new ways to play through stages.

Reception

Reception
Review scores
Publication Scores
Arcade Mega Drive Master System
Beep! Mega Drive 4.5/10[8]
Computer and Video Games 86%[4] 80%[9]
Console XS 83%[10]
CU Amiga 91%[11]
Joypad 73%[12]
Mega 22%[13]
RePlay Positive[1][14]
Sinclair User 95%[15]
99% (R360)[16]

In Japan, Game Machine listed G-LOC: Air Battle on their June 1, 1990 issue as being the most-successful upright arcade game of the month.[17] The deluxe cabinet version went on to become Japan's ninth highest-grossing dedicated arcade game of 1990.[18] It was later Japan's fifth highest-grossing dedicated arcade game of 1991.[19] In a retrospective review, Brett Weiss of Allgame gave the arcade version a score of 3.5 out of 5 stars. He compared the game to After Burner saying that G-Loc has superior graphics and slightly more versatile gameplay.[20]

In North America, it was considered the hit of the show at Chicago 's American Coin Machine Exposition (ACME) in March 1990,[1] and became a commercial hit upon release.[21] It was the top-grossing new video game on the RePlay arcade charts in June 1990.[22] It was then the second highest-grossing dedicated arcade game in September 1990, below Konami's Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles.[23]

The arcade game received positive reviews from critics upon release.

Legacy

G-LOC received a Japan-only sequel in 1991, Strike Fighter[24] (not to be confused with Sega Strike Fighter, released in 2000). It was ported to the FM Towns computer and the Sega CD console as After Burner III.

Notes

  1. ↑ Japanese: ジーロック エア バトル Hepburn: Jī-Rokku Ea Batoru

References

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 "News Feature: Sega's 'G-Loc' – trade may crown air combat simulator "arcade hit" of the season". RePlay 15 (8): 66, 68. May 1990. https://archive.org/details/re-play-volume-14-issue-no.-8-may-1990-600dpi/RePlay%20-%20Volume%2014%2C%20Issue%20No.%208%20-%20May%201990/page/66. 
  2. ↑ "G-LOC (Registration Number PA0000606084)". https://cocatalog.loc.gov. 
  3. ↑ "Overseas Readers Column: Many Videos Unveiled At AOU Expo '90 Chiba". Game Machine (Amusement Press, Inc.) (377): 26. 1 April 1990. https://onitama.tv/gamemachine/pdf/19900401p.pdf#page=14. 
  4. ↑ 4.0 4.1 "C+VG Arcade Action - G-LOC". Computer + Video Games (United Kingdom: Future Publishing) (104 (July 1990)): 88–89. 16 June 1990. https://retrocdn.net/images/5/5e/CVG_UK_104.pdf#page=88. Retrieved 21 February 2020. 
  5. ↑ Keinert, Kevin (December 2001). "The Hunt for Sega's R360 Wing War". RePlay. 
  6. ↑ "Yu Suzuki Interview" (in ja). セガハードヒストリア. SB Creative. March 2021. ISBN 978-4-7973-9943-1.  (Part 1 and Part 2)
  7. ↑ Craddock, Ryan (17 April 2020). "Sega Ages G-LOC: Air Battle Is Getting A Western Switch Release Later This Month". Gamer Network. https://www.nintendolife.com/news/2020/04/sega_ages_g-loc_air_battle_is_getting_a_western_switch_release_later_this_month. 
  8. ↑ "Be Mega Dog Race - G-LOC" (in ja). Beep! Mega Drive: 21. March 1993. https://retrocdn.net/images/8/8b/BeepMD_JP_1993-03.pdf#page=23. Retrieved 21 February 2020. 
  9. ↑ "Group Test: Aiieee! Aliens! Head-to-Head – The Best Shoot-'Em-Ups Ever!". Computer and Video Games (151 (June 1994)): 106–11. 15 May 1994. https://retrocdn.net/images/d/df/CVG_UK_151.pdf#page=106. 
  10. ↑ "Software A-Z: Master System". Console XS (United Kingdom: Paragon Publishing) (1 (June/July 1992)): 137–47. 23 April 1992. https://archive.org/details/console-xs-01/page/137. 
  11. ↑ "Arcades". CU Amiga (5 (July 1990)): 80–1. 26 June 1990. http://amr.abime.net/issue_671_pages. 
  12. ↑ Olivier (January 1993). "G-LOC Air Battle" (in fr). Joypad (16): 70. https://retrocdn.net/images/c/c8/Joypad_FR_016.pdf#page=70. Retrieved 21 February 2020. 
  13. ↑ "3D Shoot-'Em-Ups". Mega (17 (February 1994)): 64–5. 20 January 1994. https://retrocdn.net/images/0/02/Mega_UK_17.pdf#page=65. 
  14. ↑ "ACME: New Product Review". RePlay 15 (7): 50–80. April 1990. https://archive.org/details/re-play-volume-14-issue-no.-7-april-1990-600dpi/RePlay%20-%20Volume%2014%2C%20Issue%20No.%207%20-%20April%201990/page/50/mode/2up. 
  15. ↑ "Coin Ops". Sinclair User (101 (July 1990)): 56–7. 18 June 1990. https://archive.org/details/sinclair-user-magazine-101/page/n55/mode/2up. 
  16. ↑ "Coin Ops". Sinclair User (109 (March 1991)): 54–5. 18 February 1991. https://www.solvalou.com/arcade/reviews/137/142. 
  17. ↑ "Game Machine's Best Hit Games 25 - アップライト, コックピット型TVゲーム機 (Upright/Cockpit Videos)". Game Machine (Amusement Press, Inc.) (381): 29. 1 June 1990. 
  18. ↑ ""Tetris" Has Still Earned More Than "Final Fight"". Game Machine (Amusement Press, Inc.) (396): 22. 1 February 1991. https://onitama.tv/gamemachine/pdf/19910201p.pdf#page=12. 
  19. ↑ ""Final Fight II" and "Final Lap 2" Top Videos: Video Games of The Year '91". Game Machine (Amusement Press, Inc.) (419): 26. 1 February 1992. https://onitama.tv/gamemachine/pdf/19920201p.pdf#page=14. 
  20. ↑ Brett Alan Weiss. "G-LOC: Air Battle (Arcade) Review". http://www.allgame.com/game.php?id=10158&tab=review. 
  21. ↑ "Machines & Markets". RePlay 16 (4): 44–55. January 1991. https://archive.org/details/re-play-volume-16-issue-no.-4-january-1991-600dpi/RePlay%20-%20Volume%2016%2C%20Issue%20No.%204%20-%20January%201991/page/44. 
  22. ↑ "RePlay: The Players' Choice". RePlay 15 (9): 4. June 1990. https://archive.org/details/re-play-volume-14-issue-no.-9-june-1990-600DPI/RePlay%20-%20Volume%2014%2C%20Issue%20No.%209%20-%20June%201990/page/n3. 
  23. ↑ "RePlay: The Players' Choice". RePlay 15 (12): 4. September 1990. https://archive.org/details/re-play-volume-15-issue-no.-12-september-1990-600DPI/RePlay%20-%20Volume%2015%2C%20Issue%20No.%2012%20-%20September%201990/page/4. 
  24. ↑ Kalata, Kurt. "After Burner III". http://www.hardcoregaming101.net/after-burner-iii/. 

External links



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